Gnarled tree roots jut out of the narrow dirt path at every turn, making descending or ascending tricky. Most of the experienced hikers grasp two poles to help with their balance as they move beneath a canopy of cedar elm and loblolly pine. Their fanny packs are stuffed with snacks, bug spray, and small towels to wipe away sweat. This hike is happening in one of the muggiest, buggiest areas of Texas: the woods of central Houston.
“I hear there’s an eagle in the park,” says Bridgette Mongeon, leader of this trek and founder of Houston Women’s Hiking, a group she created in 2016 to encourage women to explore the outdoors. Mongeon is a sculptor whose work decorates parks and campuses throughout Texas. When she was
